Description of the watermelon variety "Sugar baby" and cultivation in the open field
Watermelon is a favorite berry of many people in our country, but the most popular variety, Sugar Baby, is distinguished not only by its excellent taste and ease of care, but also by its ability to produce crops even in the cold regions of Russia. After reading the material, not only professional gardeners, but also ordinary amateurs, using the advice, can easily grow sweet melon in their beds in a short time.
Description and characteristics
Few people know, but watermelon has a considerable amount of useful vitamins and minerals, such as:
- Vitamins A, B, C.
- Cellulose.
- Magnesium and Phosphorus.
- Potassium and iron.
- Pectin.
The variety "Sweet Baby" is characterized by fast ripening, after the appearance of the first shoots, after 70-90 days you can harvest. The berries are not very heavy, on average, about 6-8 kilograms.Ripe fruits are dark green in color, with pronounced stripes on the peel.
If you cut a watermelon, a scarlet core opens up to the eye, usually coarse-grained, sugar and rather juicy.
The advantages of this variety are:
- Disease resistance.
- Stores well during long-term transportation.
- Unpretentious care and high yields even in the coldest regions.
Features of cultivation in different regions
The "Suga baby" variety is planted not only in open areas of the post office, but also under the greenhouse shed. Watermelon yields good yields mainly in well-drained, light and fertile soil, with sufficient sunlight.
Experienced gardeners know the peculiarities of sowing to obtain high-quality shoots from seeds, as well as a rich harvest:
- In order for the berry seeds to germinate well, it is recommended to soak them in warm water at 45-65 degrees. Leave them there until the liquid cools completely, and then sow on seedlings.
- Sprouted seeds are planted on an open soil area no earlier than 30 days later.
- During the preparation of the soil for planting shoots, it should be noted that the holes must be dug at a distance of 2-2.5 meters from each other, since the length of the vine of this melon cultivar is quite large.
- It is advisable to feed the soil before planting seedlings - pour ash, humus and sand into the hole.
- Sprouted seeds are planted in warm ground, therefore, after fertilizing the holes, the soil is covered with a film to warm up.
- In areas where the climate is quite warm, sowing can begin in the last weeks of April, early May. When the soil at a depth of 5-10 centimeters warms up to a temperature of 10-13 degrees.
- Those who live mainly in arid regions plant seeds to a depth of no more than 4-5 centimeters.
Optimal conditions for growing in Siberia
A distinctive feature of the cold regions of Russia is the short summer period. In such climatic conditions, melon cultivation is required quickly, therefore early ripening varieties are selected. And the sowing method is only seedling. After the grown seedlings have grown stronger, you can start planting in open soil areas.
The soil
"Sugar baby" grows well in light soil, which is dominated by sand. Since the roots of the plant are thin and have many branches, drained soil will do. Watermelons are very fond of sunlight, in order to get a good harvest of sweet berries, you need to choose the sunniest place for planting. A favorable condition for a good harvest will be the soil on which black radish was grown in the previous year.
Attention! Do not plant small watermelon seedlings next to cucumbers, zucchini or pumpkins. Since in the process of growth, these cultures will interfere with each other. The soil prepared for planting germinated seeds must warm up to at least 15 degrees Celsius. Considering the cold climate of Siberia, "Suga baby" is planted closer to mid-May.
Watering
Often watering the melon is not necessary, the berries do not like abundant moisture. Watering the seedlings well once or twice a week will be sufficient. To prevent watermelon roots from freezing and rotting, watering is carried out with warm water. It is recommended to carry out this procedure in the late afternoon, since intense solar activity can burn the delicate leaves of the plant.
It is recommended to moisturize the stems and leaves of "Sugar Baby" during the flowering period and during the formation of ovaries. As soon as the fruits begin to ripen, excess moisture will cause the berries to burst from an excess of water.
Fertilizers and feeding
Watermelon feed, in cold regions, they give once or twice a season: first in June, and then a month later. Gardeners recommend fertilizing with infusion of weeds or purchasing any mixture for melons and gourds in a garden store.
How to grow a watermelon "Suga baby"
Watermelon variety "Sugar baby" is rather unpretentious to care and resistant to diseases and pests. Depending on the region and climatic conditions, gardeners grow berries not only outdoors, but also in a greenhouse. Next, about the differences in melon care in different conditions.
In the greenhouse
Growing sweet berries in a greenhouse differs only in that the fruits are tied to a trellis. All shrubs of the plant are formed into one lash. During flowering, it is required to open door windows to attract insects for pollination. To draw the attention of bees, you can sow honey plants next to melon bushes.
When watermelon ovaries appear on each bush, and they grow to the size of a tennis ball, each berry must be placed in a net and tied to a trellis.
In the open field
You can grow sweet watermelon outdoors by sowing seeds or seedlings, it all depends on the climate. After planting, it is not recommended to unnecessarily trample the soil and touch the shoots. In high temperatures, water abundantly, but not more than 2 times a week. As soon as the fruits reach the size of an apple, you need to start forming whips.
To do this, pinch the lash, 5-6 leaves behind each ovary. In cold areas, 4 to 7 berries are left on one watermelon bush, all other flowers are removed. The fewer ovaries on the bush, the harder and tastier the crop will grow.
Important! Considering the cold in Siberia, many watermelons will still not grow, so do not spare the extra fruit ovary and leave them to ripen.
Harvesting and storage rules
Towards the end of the warm summer months, preparations for harvesting begin, periodically it is worth taking a closer look at the berry tails. When the tail is completely dry, the watermelon is ripe. To finally make sure that the harvest is ripe, the fruits are not squeezed with both hands. If you can clearly hear the rattle, there is no doubt about the maturity of the watermelon. Do not delay harvesting, as overripe berries can even ferment.
Attention! Most gardeners recommend cutting ripe fruits in the early morning, so their shelf life will be longer.
The stalks are cut off with a pruner, after which the ripe berries are placed in a room with an air temperature of no more than 15 degrees Celsius. Ripe watermelons of the "Suga baby" variety can be stored for up to 2 months. Provided that the storage location is cool and dark.
